More training = weight gain?

[binbina]

Hi all -

I've worked out with a trainer for years but about a month ago bumped up from 2x/week to 3/x week and have been pushing (safely, but definitely working harder than I have). In that month, I've gained 3-4 pounds. Nothing else has changed: I continue to run 10-12 miles a week, am limiting my alcohol to under 5 drinks/week, and my diet is pretty good.

I'm pretty sure I haven't put on four pounds of muscle in a month and I shouldn't be gaining any fat if I'm expending more energy without taking in any additional calories, right? Does additional strength training cause fluid retention and inflammation that might make the number on the scale go up? I know that sometimes happens when someone is starting out, but I'm only increasing my workouts by one per week.

I'm trying not to be the guy who obsesses about the scale, because I know that's not healthy, but I'm just wondering.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Oh yeah, I'm 51, 5'9" in the 170ish range.

 

[niagrace]

@binbina Hi. same height same weight here. I lift 4 days a week. Run up to 10 miles each week. It was not until I reduced my maintenance calorie intake that I saw some weight drop while still keeping muscle. I track everything I do in excel. Weigh in daily. There are mornings I’m 3lbs heavier than the next just from inflammation or type of sodium intake the day before. Talk to your trainer about your macros. This may help. Keep protein intake high. Still have fats and carbs but within a range. Measure and photos to are helpful I do it every 4 weeks.

 

[kimmyk401]

@binbina I have no idea what the trainer has you doing or whether or not he has a chart for you, but this is what I do to track my progress...

1. I have a spreadsheet that I created in Google Sheets.
   1. It has weights, sets and reps in there for everyday I workout.
   2. It also has weightlifting goals for the end of every 8 week training cycle and a path to get there that includes pre determined weights, sets and reps targets for each exercise.
   3. Everyday I weight myself at the same time on a digital scale and record that weight down to the decimal in a cell at the top of each workout.
   4. Everyday I take a set of spring loaded bodyfat calipers and take 3 different measurements and record the totals of those three in a cell. I also put the bodyfat percentage in another cell 1. at the top of each workout.
   5. At the bottom of each week's column there's a cell with formulas that give me my average weight and bodyfat for each week, but more importantly there is a cell with a formula that totals up all the caliper readings for that week.

Why do you weigh and check the caliper readings every day? Well... The more data points the more accuracy.

The bodyfat caliper totals are interesting to follow more than the percentages. The numbers allow me to see a trend easier. I see a number every week that tells me if I am losing fat or not and from that I can adjust my diet. I'm working on a body recomposition so I want to keep or gain muscle while at the same time losing fat. The calipers totals help me see a real time number everyday rather than a percentage that is selected from a range on a chart.

Since December of 2022 to now I have gone from 220# and 22% BF to 212# and 16% BF. That's a pretty decent accomplishment for a 62 year old. I'm 5'-11".

I hope this helps.

 

[bfg33]

@kimmyk401 Thank you for the instructions on the calipers. I see that they aren't expensive at all.

 

[kimmyk401]

@bfg33 I recommend the spring loaded ones that use the spring for compression instead of your hand.

 

[roberto1820]

@binbina Are you actually tracking your caloric intake?

 

[binbina]

@roberto1820 Yes. MyFitnessPal. Very consistent about it.

 

[roberto1820]

@binbina Are you taking any measurements with the tape? That would be a good way to tell what's going on.

 

[bfg33]

@binbina I was tracking with MFP as well, and had crept up about 200 calories a day. My added exercise obviously wasn't enough to make up for that.

 

[tampasteve]

@binbina Have you tracked your measurements?

 

[bfg33]

@binbina I've been training steadily since August and put on 9 pounds by May 1st. My guess is that I didn't get the too-tight clothes signal I would have gotten sooner because I was adding muscle mass. I suspect this is something that is fairly common.

Started working on diet to reverse that and have lost three pounds this month.

 

[tuckertwo]

@binbina It’s probably muscle weight. You’re seeing gains? Muscle weighs more than fat.